Schumacher almost wasn't signed, reveals Briatore

Thursday, 11 october 2018, 10:28
, by Matthew Scott

Former Benetton chief Flavio Briatore says nobody at the team was convinced Michael Schumacher was worth signing before he brought him to the squad. Schumacher joined Benetton after debuting in F1 with Jordan and won two world titles with the team in 1994 and 1995 before moving to Ferrari.

Having impressed in qualifying on his F1 debut at Spa in 1991, Schumacher won his maiden grand prix back in Belgium a year later, having switched to Benetton.

Schumacher won 19 of Benetton's 27 grand prix victories as his union with the likes of Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne brought success to the Enstone team before all three moved on to even greater success at Maranello.

The German great was signed on the basis of one race – ending the 1991 season with Benetton after his Spa debut – but Briatore says history almost went a different way.

"No one was convinced of Michael," Briatore told 2016 world champion Nico Rosberg on his podcast.

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Comments (5)

Federico Tombolini

Despite all the discussions about 1994's Benetton (without no clear trial)...Hill (the hero of my childhood) could have easily won in Adelaide but he thought that THAT moment was the ONLY moment for the overtake of the victory; he felt in the only defense that a desperate Schumacher could create to him (much less dirty than what he did in 1997)
That championship wasn't deserved by Hill,maybe was deserved by Williams (which won the Constructor championship) but for sure was deserved by Schumacher: 14 races,8 wins,2 second places, with Silverstone as only (stupid) mistake of the season because cost to him a two-race ban.

??????? ???????

Agree, Schumacher kicked Damon Hill's car off the track back in 1994 in Australia. Schumi run off the track when Hill was trying to get him passed and eventually did this.That was the final race of the season with Schumi leading just one point. That was nasty deliberate move... So Shumi should have not more than 6 titles, Hill should have at least 2 titles.

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